CPT code 28288: Toe bone removal, phalangeal head2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $610.57 for 28288 nationally in the office and $416.51 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $544.31–$794.77.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 28288 covers

A foot surgeon, commonly an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist, removes part of a toe phalanx head to address a painful bony prominence and related pressure or irritation. The procedure may be performed in a surgical facility or office-based setting, depending on the case. The operative note should identify the toe and bone treated, the prominence or deformity prompting surgery, and the extent of bone removed.

Report 28288 for partial removal involving the head of a toe phalanx, rather than a different phalangeal site or a procedure directed at correcting the toe deformity itself. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 28288 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

28288 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 28288 rate is calculated

Each of 28288’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 28288

28288 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

28288 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28124Toe bone excisionPartial phalanx excision

Choose 28288 for partial removal at a toe phalanx head; 28124 applies to partial excision of toe phalanx bone at another site.

28126Toe bone excisionComplete phalanx removal

28126 is for resection of a condyle at the distal end of a toe phalanx. 28288 concerns partial removal at a phalangeal head.

28285Hammertoe repairLesser-toe deformity correction

28285 describes hammertoe correction, while 28288 describes partial bone removal at a toe phalanx head. The operative work determines which code applies.

28110Metatarsal resectionPartial fifth-head excision

28110 addresses the fifth metatarsal head, not a toe phalanx head. Select by the bone and site treated.

Codes related to 28288

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates